Kitchen mixer

ABSTRACT

Kitchen mixer includes an external speed control slider and a pivotable centrifugally operated switch. A connecting arrangement is provided between said control slider and said centrifugally operated switch. A peripherally toothed face cam is arranged to swing said switch. This is effected by the cam-teeth which are connected through a spur gear train to the rack gear carried by said slider.

United States Patent 15 3,668,348 Bauer 1 1 June 6 1972 54] KITCHEN MIXER 2,577,955 12/1951 Dixon ..200/16 F 3,154,645 10/1964 Parlato ....200/38 C [721 Cheshm 3,327,073 6/1967 Bement ....200/38 c [73] Assignee: Scovill Manufacturing Company, Water- 0 8/1967 -2 0/33 R bury, Conn. 3,097,318 7/1963 Jepson ..310/50 [221 Filed= Primary Examiner-J. D. Miller [21] APPL No: 127,149 Assistant Examiner-RSkudy Anorney-Dallett Hoopes 5 2 U.S. c1 ..200/80, 310 50, 310/66 [57] ABSTRACT [51] lnt.Cl. ..H02k 7/54 ,[58] Field of Search ..310/47, 50, 66, 69, 83; K'tchen SPeed COMO and 200/38 C 38 E 33 R 16 F 318/325. 259/1 pivotablc centrifugally operated switch. A connecting arb 19 rangement is provided between said control slider and said I centrifugally operated switch. A peripherally toothed face [56] References Cited cam is arranged to swing said switch. This is effected by the cam-teeth which are connected through a spur gear train to UNlTED STATES PATENTS the rack gear carried by said slider. 3,304,383 2/1967 Hansen "318/325 1 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures KITCHEN MIXER This invention relates to an electric mixer. More specifically, the invention is an improvement with respect to the device shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,304,383. While the structure of that patent provided a dependable governor by which constant speed motors could be manually controlled over a wide speed range, and functioned adequately, the present invention has for its object to provide a device even more economical to produce, easier to adjust in production, and equally satisfactory from a reliability standpoint.

Further objects and features from a study of the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a kitchen mixer having its housing partly broken away to expose the speed control mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a housing peripherally broken away to also expose the speed control mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-- 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4- 4 of FIG. 2; i

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and 7 FIG. 6 is an enlarged view'showing the rotary face cam and the switch portion adjacent theret Briefly, in a'kitchen mixer having an external speed control slider and internally a swinging'centrifugally operated switch, the invention is connecting means between the swinging switch and the slider and comprises a peripherally toothed face cam adapted to swing the switch, the teeth of the cam connected through a spur gear train to a rack gear carried by the slider.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a mixer embodying the invention is generally designated 10 in FIG. 1. It comprises a housing 12 having an electric motor 14 therein with the shaft 16 of the motor disposed longitudinally of the housing 12. The shaft carries a centrifugal control element 18 adapted to be moved in one direction along the shaft (leftward in FIG. 1) as arms I9 move out in response to a speed increase and in the opposite direction as speed decreases as in the aforementioned patent. The motor includes a frame 20 which mounts by means of a horizontal pin 22 a pivotal switch 24 having contacts 24a and cam follower 24b. One of the contacts 24a has an outwardly projecting arm 26 which may be engaged bythe element 18 as the element 18 moves leftward (FIG. I to open the contacts. The switch, being in circuit with the motor, thereby shuts down the motor until such time as the shaft speed decreases permitting the element 18 to move rightward to permit the contacts again to close. As shown in FIG. 4, a small spiral spring 28 is disposed between the frame 20 and the upper arm of the swinging switch 24 to bias the arm upwardly.

The structure so far described is precisely the same as the corresponding portion of the structure described in U. S. Pat. No. 3,304,383.

A slider bracket 30 having an elongated aperture 32 is of the invention will appear specification including the mounted on the side of the motor cally disposed in the aperture 32 and extends outward through a slot 37 in the housing, terminating in a knob 38. The slider 34 carries on the opposite side of the aperture 32, a rack gear 40.

Upstanding from the frame 20 is a shaft 42 which rotatably mounts a rotary cam 44 having a downward radial cam face 46 (FIG. 6) and a toothed peripheral portion 48. A downward portion 46a on the cam is segregated from a lesser downward portion 46b by a downward detent projection 46c. Rotary movement of the cam 46 with the follower 24b engaging the sloping portion 46b, controls the speed of the motor as the arm 26 of the switch is moved toward and away from the element 18 in a manner described in the above-identified patent. Rotation of the cam 26 to the position shown in FIG. 6 moves the arm 26 to its extreme ri htward position (FIG. 1) where it engages the element 18 to old open the contacts 244 at all times and thus keep the mixer off.

The rack gear 40 and the toothed portion 48 of the cam 46 are connected by a spur gear train comprising two intenneshing spur gears 50 and 52 (FIGS. 2,5). Gear 50 also meshes with the toothed portions 48 and gear 52 meshes with the rack.

In use, the speed of the mixer may be adjusted by sliding the knob 38 in its slot in the appropriate direction. Adjacent the extreme end of travel of the knob 38, at the slow side in the version shown, the cam 46 will be disposed as shown in FIG. 6 to open the circuit, turning the mixer ofi.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, reasonable variations may fall within the invention which may be defined by the following claim language:

I claim:

1. In a kitchen mixer having a housing, an electric motor in the housing, the motor having a frame and a shaft extending longitudinally of the housing, a centrifugal control element mounted on the shaft and adapted to move in a direction along the shaft in response to speed increase and in the opposite direction as speed decreases, a switch in circuit with the motor pivotally mounted on the motor frame to swing longitudinally of the housing toward and away from said element, the switch being operable by engagement with the element, the housing being formed with a slot extending in a direction longitudinal of the housing; and slider means mounted on the frame for movement longitudinal of the housing and having a knob extending out of the slot for moving the slider and means connecting the slider and the switch whereby the sliding movement of the slider will pivotally move the switch; the improvement wherein the last-named means comprise a horizontally disposed rotary cam having a downward radial cam surface engaging a portion of the switch to move it toward and away from the element, the cam having a toothed periphery portion, the slider carrying a rack gear, and a spur gear train connecting the rack and the toothed periphery portion of the cam, the cam including a downward portion adapted to hold the switch against the element to keep the switch open even when the element is in its extreme position in the said opposite direction.

frame. A slider 34 is recipro- 

1. In a kitchen mixer having a housing, an electric motor in the housing, the motor having a frame and a shaft extending longitudinally of the housing, a centrifugal control element mounted on the shaft and adapted to move in a direction along the shaft in response to speed increase and in the opposite direction as speed decreases, a switch in circuit with the motor pivotally mounted on the motor frame to swing longitudinally of the housing toward and away from said element, the switch being operable by engagement with the element, the housing being formed with a slot extending in a direction longitudinal of the housing; and slider means mounted on the frame for movement longitudinal of the housing and having a knob extending out of the slot for moving the slider and means connecting the slider and the switch whereby the sliding movement of the slider will pivotally move the switch; the improvement wherein the last-named means comprise a horizontally disposed rotary cam having a downward radial cam surface engaging a portion of the switch to move it toward and away from the element, the cam having a toothed periphery portion, the slider carrying a rack gear, and a spur gear train connecting the rack and the toothed periphery portion of the cam, the cam including a downward portion adapted to hold the switch against the element to keep the switch open even when the element is in its extreme position in the said opposite direction. 